One thing - or the first thing - you should always do with a decoder is to turn off the DC Enable option in CV29. I've cured so many of these kind of problems both myself and for others by recommending this.
CVs tend to get scrambled easily during intermittent shorts, and with DC Enabled, it seems to be even more prevalent. I had one customer who was constantly bringing in his engines claiming he had lost all control of them - sometimes the same engine multiple times. I finally turned off the DC Enable after doing a full reset in the engines and he hasn't been back since.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
If you were talking exclusively about steamers, especially BLI steamers, I have experienced this a lot. It's the connection between the tender and the locomotive. The plug must be pressed a bit further into the receptacle. The motor control always seems to be the one that goes 'missing' when the tether isn't fully seated. And sometimes they do work loose enough to do that. Very seldom, though.
However, for diesels, it sounds like a throttle or command station problem. I can't believe so many decoders have conspired to stop running, as if they're on strike, but still make the appropriate sounds in response to paddle commands and their programming...or part of them.
Yet, quite a few people have said their dormant decoders act up when next used, and I don't mean dormant as in QSI-with-double-pressed-F9 in a coma. I mean unused for several months. Nothing short of a full factory reset will bring them back, and then only on Add 03...you'll have to work all the CV settings and re-address them once more.
With so many different locos and so many different decoders affected, my suspicion is that the Prodigy throttle is acting up. The problem seems to be that the long addresses are not being recognized.
Rich
Alton Junction
WHile you have the shell off, reset the loco. Most of the Atlas Golds use the magnetic wand - any magnet will work, really. With the shell off you can find the read switch, an elongated glass capsule with two small blades inside it. If double pressing F6 doesn't wake it up, a full reset ought to.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
With the Atlas Gold, double press the F6. See if that fixes them.
Did you try removing the shells, and looking at parts?
Remove the shell, then apply power. Sound will be odd sounding, because you are losing part of the enclosure, but you will be able to see exactly how the loco's are responding. It could be that you have something binding, something came loose, or other issues. Look specifically if the motors are spinning, and try, with power applied, spinning it by hand, to see if it then begins to move.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Most are Atlas Gold lcomotives. Several are atheran with decoders added via 8 pin connecter. I don't recall brand but they were most common about 6 years ago. A Bahmann 44 tonner works fine straight out of the box as well as a bachmann steamer, as do at least 4 Atlas Gold. I have tried reprogramming to no avail. They are not in consists. All worked to begin with. two are now shorting out as power is applied from the throttle. It is a real mixed bag with no consistency which is what has me totally confused. and I do have several which will start up but only crawl along at scale speed of 2-3 MPH no mater how high I go on teh throttle. and the system is the Prodigy advanced 2 which I have had no problems with except once. Sound moderates with teh increase in throttle on two of them, but the engine does not respond with movement.Ideas?
If the decoder is QSI, it could have been put into 'shutdown' mode. Pressing F6 should wake it back up.
I've ran into a couple instances with QSI decoders where nothing would wake them short of resetting.
If sounds respond normally to commands,then first check if F11 (brakes) is "on" on your control;some decoders won't allow loco movement if F11 is "on".
Did they used to work? What have you done since then, either to the engines or your DCC system? What brand of DCC system are you using?
Does the engine sound rev up when you increase the throttle setting? Can you blow the horn/whistle? How about the lights?
I'd do a reset first, too, before trying anything more drastic.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
What types of decoders, by brand, are causing this problem.
You probably need to reset the affected decoders to factory default and then re-program the long address.
Are any of these locos in consists?
A fellow in my club has a couple of locos that have lost their addresses and needed to be reprogrammed a couple of times. I don't remember the type locos or what decoder is in them, but I had to reprogram one just this past Wednesday evening. Sound was on (idle) but no movement, no light control. I think the loco was an Athearn Diesel HO. Didn't respond to address 3 either.
I have a number of DCC locos, some with sound, some not. I have had a problem recently with several wherein I have sound but the loco will not move. Other DCC locos work fine both with sound and movement o the same track. I have starting voltage set at 2, top speed voltage at 15, and accel and deecel steps set at 4. I use the same settings on all locos. But again, several locos get sound but don't move. Any ideas?